Artificial tendon



y 1970 J. HAUSNER 3,513,484

ARTIFICIAL TENDON Filed Oct. 27, 1967 m w L ---w---- n FIG.

FIG. 2.

FIG. 3.

FIG. 4.

- 7: Iii i R mE N N S WU WA H L N H 0 V ATTORNEYS 7 United States PatentO 3,513,484 ARTIFICIAL TENDON John L. Hausner, Norristown, Pa., assignorto Extracorporeal Medical Specialties, Inc., Bridgeport, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 678,556 Int.Cl. A61f 1/24 US. Cl. 31 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Theartificial tendon consists of a strip of Dacron woven with loop endsengaged with stainless steel perforated members securable to a bone anda muscle, the former provided with prongs to penetrate the bone. TheDacron strip and portions of the ends are encased in silicone rubber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to artificial tendonsof either temporary or permanent nature. Depending upon the extent ofdamage to tendons artificial tendons are used either for permanentreplacement of the severed or damaged natural tendon or for temporaryuse while healing takes place. Heretofore such tendons have consisted oftapes of Dacron (polyethylene glycol terephthalate) covered with asilicone rubber to prevent adherence to other tissues. These have beengenerally unsatisfactory particularly in the matter of securement to amuscle and bone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention animproved construction is provided in which end members of stainlesssteel or other suitable metal are secured in loops in the ends of astrip of woven Dacron in such fashion as to avoid the possibility ofdisengagement. The end members have openings respectively for thereception of suture threads and for a bone screw, with the latterprovided with prongs to penetrate the bone for secure fastening. Amolded coating of silicone rubber encloses the tape and portions of theend members to prevent adherence to tissues and at the same time insurenecessary flexibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of astrip of woven Dacron fabric from which strips are cut to provide theflexible tape portions of the artificial tendons;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged top plan View of the Dacron tape or strip with theend members secured in position, the tape or strip having its centralportion broken away;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the plane in dicated at 3-3 inFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken on the plane indicated at 5-5 inFIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the artificial tendon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 1, thefirst step in the production of the preferred artificial tendon is theweaving of a fabric 2 of Dacron with its selvage edges formed as loops 4which end at the integral junctions 6 with the single ply main centralportion of the fabric. The weaving per se is carried out in theconventional fashion well known in the weaving art for the formation,integrally with the central single ply portion of the fabric, of thedouble ply marginal portions constituting the loops which extend in thedirection of the fabric warp. One or more Wefts zig zag back and forthacross the full width of the fabric.

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The second step in the formation of the tendon comprises the cutting ofa strip 10 from the fabric 2 along a line indicated at 8 to provide atape or strip with the integral loops 12. In view of the fact that sucha strip or tape is integrally woven, it has very high tensile strengthand the loops, which are attached to end members, are not subject toopening, being constituted by the ends of the passes of the continuousfilling which extends back and forth through the entire tape. However,utilizing other aspects of the invention, the tape may have loops closedby stitching.

The overall length of the strip is chosen to suit the particularpurposes for which it is intended, and may be long or short and ofproper width to replace the natural tendon. When formed as described itis substantially inelastic.

Referring next particularly to FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5, at one end of thestrip there is located a stainless steel end member 14 provided with asmoothly rounded opening indicated at 16 for the reception of sutures.The member 14 is provided with integral tapered prongs 18 which areinitially formed in a fashion in which they extend outwardly beyond thefinal positions indicated in the figures. Desirably, this end member isformed of cast stainless steel and is rigid in use, and assembly withthe strip is effected by pressing the prongs 18 inwardly, to theposition illustrated, within one of the loops 12. Other noncorrodablemetals, or even rigid plastics, may be used.

At the other end of the strip an end member 20 is provided, also of caststainless steel or similar suitable material. This is provided with acountersunk opening 22 suitable for the reception of a screw which maybe threaded into a bone. Like the other end member it is provided withprongs 24 which may be moved to provide proper engagement in and withthe other fabric loop 12. In addition, the member 20 is provided withintegral prongs 26 adapted to be pressed into a bone to prevent possiblerotation of the member relative to the bone about the axis of thesecuring screw.

The tendon is completed by molding a silicone rubber coating about theassembly just described to provide the central cover portion 28 and theenlarged ends 30 which embrace both the loops 12 and the portions of theend members which are inward of the openings 16 and 22.

The use and advantages of the artificial tendon will now be evident. Theend member 20 is secured by a bone screw and the prongs 26 penetrate thebone to prevent relative rotation between the member and the bone sothat a secure anchorage to the bone is achieved. The end member 14 issutured securely to the muscle involved or to a remaining portion of thenatural tendon. The entire structure has sufliicent tensile strength toprovide the same forces as are normally provided by a natural tendon.The silicone rubber coating or cover encloses the junctions of the endmembers with the loops of the strip and also encloses the Dacron stripto prevent any adherence to the adjacent tissues of the body.

While the silicone rubber may be molded in position as described, thecovering may be provided by a preformed tube of silicone rubber pulledover the assembly in such fashion as to provide tight'engagement atleast at its ends with the end members. 1

I claim:

1. An artificial tendon comprising a substantially in elastic, flexibleelongated member of a physiologically in-' ert material having at atleast one end a loop integral with the portion between the ends, atleast one substantially rigid end member of physiologically inertmaterial engaged with said loop and adapted for attachment to a bone,and a silicone rubber sheath encasing said elongated member and theregion of its engagement with said rigid end member.

2. An artificial tendon according to claim 1 in which the elongatedmember'has two loops and is woven with at leastone weft thread extendingback and forth about and between said: loops. 7 a

3; An artificial tendon according to claim 2-in which the elongatedmember is woven of Dacron.

4. An artificial tendon according to claim 1 in which said end member isprovided with bone-penetrating prongs.

7 References Cited:

UNITED STATES PATENTS a 841,157 1/1907 Knothe 2-338 7 968,299 8/1910White 2338 1,141,663 6/1915 Jocobson 2338 1,938,158 12/1933 Steele294-92 2,002,946 5/1935 Jacobs 2-32 1 XR 2,438,790 3/1948 Postlethwaite128 -291 2,563,232 8/1951 Q-ejac 128291 2,871,859 2/1959 Dunn 1282893,105,492 10/1963 Jeckel 128-334 3,176,316 /1965 Bodell 3-1 4 FOREIGNPATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Bickharns Operative Surgery, vol. 2, p. 36 2,1924."

Boat-Nail Fixation of Tendonsc and Ligaments to Cancellous Bonejnby Lt.Col. R. W. Augustine et al., Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, vol.38A, No. 5, October 1956, pp. 1156-115 8. i

The Use of a Silastic Rod as an Adjunct to Flexor Tendon Grafting, by F.V. Nicolle, The Bulletin of the Dow Corning Center for Aid to Medical,Research, vol. 8, No. 3, July 1966, pp. 9 and 10. 5

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary examina R. L. FRINKS, Assistant Examiner Us.01. X 11. 128 334

